


Tip of My Tongue

by starksrhodey



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: BUT IS THERE, Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, Happy Ending, Infidelity, Light Angst, M/M, Miscommunication, Misunderstanding, Not Epilogue Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-21
Updated: 2018-05-21
Packaged: 2019-05-09 15:30:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14718755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starksrhodey/pseuds/starksrhodey
Summary: Draco thinks Potter is up to no good. This is the story of what happens next.





	Tip of My Tongue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [inventions](https://archiveofourown.org/users/inventions/gifts).



Draco pursed his lips, drumming his nimble fingers against the countertop. Potter wouldn’t... he wouldn’t cheat on Draco. Would he? Draco bit his lip. Oh how he would cease the day Harry sodding Potter opted to sleep around on him! But wait. It’s just not logical. The mere concept of Harry sneaking around behind his back just seemed too unsavior like.

Potter would more than likely break out in hives at the first sign of being unfaithful. Draco smiled wryly at the thought. Would deserve him right.

“This is unacceptable,” Draco abruptly rose from where he was perched, arms crossed.

“What’s unacceptable?”

The blonde startled, his grey eyes flickering to meet those oh-so-familiar green ones. Draco hadn’t even noticed Harry’s arrival. He was losing his touch, surely.. Allowing Gryffindor’s to sneak up on him? What’s next? He shuddered at the thought.

Draco’s eyes dropped, roaming over Harry’s offending form. He wore a pair of nicely fitted slacks, his belt unfastened as his shirt remained untucked. The collar of his button up had yet to be properly creased, as well. Draco wrinkled his nose at the sight.

“Your appearance,” Draco scowled, marching towards his longtime boyfriend, “It’s an eyesore.”

“Oh,” Harry shrugged before adding dryly, “As long as it’s just my _appearance_.”

“Don’t be daft,” Draco swatted at him. “It’s your hair too. Bloody birds nest, it is.”

Harry gave Draco a fond smile, inwardly smirking as a light flush spread across the Slytherin’s face. The blonde huffed and began tugging at the material encasing the Gryffindor. Draco had to make absolutely sure Potter looked presentable. After all, his appearance didn’t just represent him. No, it represented Draco as well. Or, at least.. That’s the excuse Draco gave.

“Don’t know how you’ve reached twenty-one without knowing how to properly tuck your shirt in,” Draco grumbled, flattening the bottom half of the dark skinned man’s shirt. Harry shimmied his hips playfully, smiling innocently as Draco shot him a glare.

“By all means, continue your antics,” Draco rolled his eyes, flicking his wand to cast _tempus_. “We’re already twenty minutes late.”

The Slytherin made quick work of Harry’s belt, allowing the other man to fasten his fly on his own as Draco stepped back to survey his work. Harry tried not to squirm under the scrutiny of those grey eyes, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

“I suppose this will have to do.”

Harry chuckled, stepping forwards to encase his slender boyfriend. “How about a kiss for good luck?”

“Oh, fuck off,” Draco snorted, his fingers flittering to straighten Harry’s collar. “You do these sort of things bi-weekly. Just pop in, say some inspirational garbage and hold a few babies. No need to get sentimental.”

Draco’s fingers tucked around Harry’s collar, their skin meeting briefly. The blonde could feel Harry’s pulse as he creased the neck of the button up. He paused, taking in this moment. It was fleeting. This had become part of their daily routine. Or, well, Harry knew better than to try and leave the house without making sure his attire was approved by Draco. Some would say this moment would be considered domestic... Draco would hex anyone who implied anything of the sort. He sighed and pulled away, giving Harry one last critical glance before nodding. 

__________

“Couldn’t help but notice you were exceedingly late,” Pansy sniffed, dabbing at her mouth with a tissue.

Draco eyed her. 

He turned his gaze towards the room at large, his eyes scanning the crowd. Ministry events always brought out the largest crowds. Specifically ones where Harry was announced as a speaker. All the way against the wall was an uplifted platform with a podium in the middle. The rest of the room was filled with tables, elegantly decorated.

“Harry was having a wardrobe malfunction,” he offered lamely, turning back towards her but still managing to avoid her gaze. The truth is, he didn’t have much of an excuse. Harry wasn’t an invalid, he knew as much. But he also had no sense of coordination when it came to dressing for Ministry events. Hermione had made a habit of flooing over hours prior to a gathering to help him get ready. That was, until Draco had become part of the picture. And maybe today he had left Harry to his own devices far longer than he usually did. He figured Pansy could sense as much.

“I see,” she pursed her lips, “Are we doing this, then? Lying to each other. That’s so sixth year, Draco. Do keep up.”

“I don’t have the slightest idea what you’re trying to imply–“

“Blaise told me,” Pansy interrupted, quirking a perfectly arched brow.

_Dammit, Blaise._

As if called by his name, Draco spotted the distinct figure of one Blaise Zabini making his way through the crowd. He had caught up with Draco and Pansy soon after Draco and Harry’s arrival before begging off to fetch drinks. Harry, too, had offered a lame excuse before leaving Draco with a chaste peck on the cheek. Draco was still trying to pretend that his face wasn’t tingling.

“The bar was out of lime, which, preposterous because we’re wizards and I’ve clearly come at a very bad time,” Blaise glanced nervously between the two of his friends.

“Pray tell, why you decided to inform Pansy of our recent... conversation,” Draco spoke through gritted teeth.

Blaise paused. Draco eyed him as he appeared deep in thought. He wondered idly what type of excuse his previous roommate would offer this time. His friend pursed his lips before shrugging rather comically.

“What do you mean,” Draco mocked his casual shrug, “Explain!”

“Pansy is rather convincing,” Blaise had the nerve to try to appear apologetic. “You know that.”

Draco scowled, turning away to adjust the table cloth, smoothing it out. His actions made it ever so clear that he was searching for a distraction due to his nerves. It didn’t help that his fingers trembled ever so slightly. _This is humiliating_ , Draco thought to himself.

He didn’t know why he was acting this way. Draco had gotten so good at covering up his emotions. Wearing a mask is something that has come to be a second nature of his. Who cares if Harry sodding Potter was **cheating** on _him_. He would overcome this. Whatever this was. Point being, Harry Potter would most certainly not drive him to tears in a public setting. It was unbecoming of a Malfoy.

“Draco,” Pansy took a seat beside him, her usual calculating expression taking a much gentler one. “Perhaps it isn’t true. Your git of a boyfriend may be inconsiderate at times, but do you think he would commit such an act? Imagine the rumors. You know he hates publicity.”

Don’t call him that, Draco had thought instantly.

Did he? Did Draco really think Harry would.. sleep around on him? No, he didn’t. If you would ask him to list things Harry would ever do to upset him, cheating most certainly would not be on the list. But the signs were all pointing to one act: **adultery**. Draco frowned at the thought.

“He’s been rather.. sneaky,” Draco spoke quietly, his fringe falling into his eyes. “He’s taken up extra hours at the department. He’s jumpy.. I walked into the foyer and he had been on the floo but quickly shut it off when he heard my arrival.”

“Oh, but Draco, that’s circumstantial at best,” Pansy started, huffing as Blaise silenced her.

“That’s what I said!” Blaise elbowed her aside, pausing as he took a bite of a crab cake. “Potter isn’t capable of doing such things.”

Pansy leveled Zabini with a glare, adjusting her blouse before shrugging his arm off her shoulder. Draco couldn’t help but smile at the sight. His friends, albeit somewhat cold, were truly _his friends_.

His thoughts fell back to the topic at hand. His thoughts quickly darkened, his lips pressing into a thin line before he cleared his throat. “Well, yes, Pansy. Those were my thoughts exactly. Until he informed me that Molly and Arthur took a weekend vacation.”

“Oh, well surely that’s not bad–“

“Which means Sunday dinner would be cancelled, as they would not be in the country,” Draco continued, tracing a pattern into the tabletop. “So he went to attend some business, I’m not sure what. I stopped asking weeks ago, after he clearly couldn’t come up with a good excuse to his whereabouts.”

The blonde cast his friends a small glance before continuing. “I had been working on a new potion line for George and knew he’d be at the burrow either way because he’s been planting a garden, so I popped over to discuss my progress with him. Imagine my surprise when it turns out, I could see everyone through the window. Having dinner, including Harry.”

He inhaled, letting out a deep breath as his friends sat in a stunned silence. Seems like Potter wasn’t as much of a gentleman as the public thinks, he thought wryly.

The once buzzing room had began to become much quieter. Draco’s eyes flickered to the left to see Harry surrounded by his Gryffindor friends, specifically Granger and Weasley. He sighed. Harry’s friends and Draco have become much more amicable. Particularly Granger. She’s quite sound when not cleaning up after Weasley. He was just unused to being treated so coldly by them.

Perhaps cold was harsh. It’s just, not even Hermione had approached him since his arrival. Typically they make small talk. Just... maybe Draco was becoming hypersensitive. Either way, he was growing tired of making excuses. 

“Hello, everyone,” Kingsley’s deep voice rang out, “Thank you for attending tonight’s event. As you may be aware, the cause for this gathering has not been disclosed.”

Draco furrowed his brows. Harry had told him it was to be another typical charity event. Had he been deceived, yet again?

“I’ve had to bat the lot of you off with your inquiries,” Kingsley continued, pausing as the crowd laughed, “But I think your answers would be better explained by Mr. Potter himself!”

The crowd took the cue, erupting into applause as Kingsley stepped back to shake hands with Harry before ushering the younger man to the podium. Potter stepped up, his lips twitching as his eyes searched the crowd. Draco leaned forward.

“Thank you for coming,” Harry spoke clearly, his fingers tugging at his collar, giving way to the obvious signs of discomfort. He paused, his eyes suddenly locking with Draco’s own. He seemed to instantly relax, his shoulders settling as he offered his Slytherin a tentative smile.

“I called everyone here as a night of remembrance. I– No, _we_ should all be thankful for having the opportunity to make our own future. Especially after all we’ve endured,” Harry swallowed, his voice trembling every so slightly. His next words were spoken with more conviction, almost as if he had suddenly found his backbone. “With that being said, I would like to bring attention to the importance of being happy. I believe it is within our own right as individuals to take control of our own path.”

Draco continue to maintain Potter’s unwavering gaze. This moment felt, as cheesy as it sounded, as if they were the only ones in the room. Draco felt entranced. He almost wanted to sniff his water glass. Had he been poisoned? 

Harry glanced away, breaking his eyes from Draco’s before he stepped out from behind the podium. Malfoy’s concentration broke as he detected movement from the left side of the stage. He stole a glance, doing a double take as his stare landed on Harry’s groups of mates. They were all edging forward, almost as if they were anxious. He sparred a second to wonder if they had any idea what was going on since Harry most certainly did not share tonight’s agenda with him. He tried to not be bitter about it. Just something else Harry was hiding from him.

The dry thought quickly fled his mind as he parted his lips in surprise. His eyes had managed to meet Hermione’s own. She was watching him, seemingly in anticipation. It was like she were waiting for something to happen. But what could possibly–

The crowd tittered, breaking Draco’s train of thought. He looked up just in time to see Harry step off the stage and onto the main flooring, his feet landing on the lower level with a dull thud.

Pansy chose that moment to grip Draco’s arm, hissing under her breath, “Is Potter aware speeches are typically given _on_ stage?”

“Perhaps he’s trying a new technique,” Blaise supplied unhelpfully.

Draco ignored them both, which was difficult with Pansy’s nails digging into his arm even through the material of his suit. He took notice of Harry’s trail, his eyes mapping out the pathway to come to the conclusion that it led directly down the middle of the aisle. It was at the same moment he realized this that he also made the connection that Harry’s path would take the Gryffindor directly to Draco’s table that he spoke next.

“I realized I’m ready to move on to a new chapter of my life. This is something I’ve given plenty of thought to, I know, shocking,” Harry smiled as the crowd laughed. “And so, with that said, I’m proposing–“

Everyone began to stand, raising their glasses. Harry floundered, his jaw slacking as he began shaking his head. “No, no, I’m genuinely proposing. To my boyfriend.”

The crowd broke out into a stunned silence, shock ringing throughout the room as everyone glanced around in confusion. Draco frowned. **What?**

“Draco, what the fuck?” Pansy whispered rather shrilly in his ear.

“Mate, think you should stand up,” Blaise urged him, before muttering under his breath, “Blimey.”

“Draco and I have been dating since eighth year,” Harry continued, not faltering in his pace. “And in this time span, I’ve fell in love him. There’s no one I would rather wake up to every morning than him.”

Draco didn’t know what to do. His fight or flight instincts had been activated. Part of him wanted to flee while the other half wanted to demand what the very hell Harry was playing at. Instead, he did neither. He rose to his feet, the movement causing Pansy to unlatch from his arm. He wasn’t aware, but half of the hall was torn between watching his reaction while the rest gawked at Harry.

He couldn’t find it within himself to blame them.

He side stepped Pansy’s chair, swallowing anxiously as his eyes suddenly grew damp. Leave it to Potter to cause him to cry in public. The git. Always trying to accomplish the impossible. Forget Voldemort, it was almost as if Harry had been put on this earth to bring Draco to his ruin. Potter soon appeared before him, closing the distance between them without giving Draco the time to so much as blink. He stared in silence, his eyes frantically searching Harry’s own. _I’ve never felt more vulnerable than in this moment,_ Draco thought to himself.

“Hello,” Harry whispered. Draco wanted to laugh hysterically. Potter was acting as if they were at home. Not like there weren’t hundreds of hungry eyes currently glued to them. “I think I’m making a fool of myself.”

Draco couldn’t help it. He laughed. In Harry’s face. Fortunately, he seemed to take this as a good sign and preened under Draco’s cool gaze.

“What is the meaning of this?” Draco spoke quietly, his resolve breaking. Tears pooled in his eyes, almost distracting him from Harry’s facial expression, which had quickly turned to one of horror.

“What– I thought you’d be pleased,” Harry uttered in a tone of desperation. He lifted his palm, cupping Draco’s cheek as he brushed a stray tear away. “What’s wrong? I can _fix_ it. Please.”

Draco sniffled, closing his eyes briefly as he inhaled. He could taste the salt on his lips. It was ironic, almost, wasn’t it?

“I thought you were cheating,” Draco hiccuped, “You lied about the Burrow. I saw all of you. And you’ve been sneaking around. I’ve noticed.”

“Oh no, no, love,” Harry shook his head, his curls flopping. “Everyone has been helping me come up with this. Please, stop crying. I can’t stand to see you cry.”

“I know,” Draco spoke quietly as he swallowed, allowing Harry to pull him even closer, if it were even possible. “I just feared the worst.”

“Is that it, then?” Harry brushed his blonde hair back. “Will you.. will you marry me?”

Draco took a deep breath in an attempt to collect himself. He was a **Malfoy**. And he would have to make sure to reassert himself.

“You have to do better than that, Potter,” Draco replied smoothly, stepping back. His tone was still rather quiet, but loud enough to cause Blaise and Pansy to erupt in light laughter.

Harry smiled in faux exasperation. He kneeled down, lifting a smooth velvet box out from his chest pocket as he peered up at Draco through his fringe. 

“Draco Malfoy, will you do me the honor of becoming my husband?” Harry’s voice rang out in the almost silent hall. Everyone held their breath.

Draco pretended to debate the pros and cons, his face appearing as thoughtful. Harry huffed.

“I suppose,” Draco tried to appear nonchalant. “I don’t seem to have any better offers.”

“Actually, I’d love to–“ Blaise’s voice broke off in a broken gasp of pain. Draco couldn’t see from where he stood, but he knew Pansy had something to do with it.

Harry surged forward, his hands wrapping around Draco’s waist in a possessive grip. The blonde protested half heartedly, his laughter ringing out as Potter lifted him up and spun them around in glee. Cheers broke out in the room as the crowd quickly understood Draco had said yes. Draco preened under the attention, his blonde hair whipping back as Harry spun them around an extra time before beginning to come to a stand still.

“Draco Potter,” Harry whispered against Draco’s temple as he lowered him. Malfoy halted his movements of being sat back on the ground. He opted to wrap his legs around Harry’s waist, settling above his hips as he twined his arms behind the Gryffindor’s neck. His fingers teasing tugged at the bottom strands of Harry’s hair.

“Draco Malfoy-Potter,” Draco challenged, whispering against the other man’s mouth.

“I concede,” Harry nodded his agreement, devouring Draco’s mouth as he finished speaking. Malfoy let out a gasp, which quickly turned into a groan as Harry clutched at his lithe form.

Draco’s hands tangled through Harry’s dark curls, his pale fingers contrasting against Potter’s own darker skin. Harry pulled away, leaning his forehead against Draco’s own.

“Suppose this means I’ll be seeing much more of your father, then.”

Draco leaned his head back and laughed. He pressed his lips against the corner of Harry’s mouth, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Harry smiled softly, kissing him once more.

**Author's Note:**

> My first Drarry fic! Please let me know what you think. Feedback is highly appreciated and encouraged!
> 
> You can find me on Twitter as @winterstarks


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